Note from Jenn: hello there! This year, I helped update Maria’s holiday gift guide for anti-sexist, anti-racist types on your list. We cleaned up/replaced any broken links, added some stuff, etc. Many of the links in this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them to another website and then buy anything, we get a small commission. So, what have we got this year?

A non-profit care package. One of my friends told me that conservative organizations typically pay their employees more, as well as their interns, so that their workers don’t have to choose between a cause they love and eating. That’s not the case for liberal non-profits. If you’ve got a friend in a sitch like that? I recommend a copy of The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, several gift-cards to the grocery store of your choice (bonus points if it sells liquor!), and a 7-class pass to your local yoga studio. What the shit — throw in a copy of Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists, so your bestie knows they’re in good company.

For the small friend with a love for fairy tales? Peter S. Beagle’s The Unicorn Sonata packs a punch, and is, I’d say, a good intermediate-YA book perfect for the 12 year old in your life. They might also dig The True Meaning of Smekday, which is a hero’s journey story featuring a snarky girl, an alien named J.Lo and the invasion of the planet.

For that lovely sporty spice? Consider the gift of a powder puff. Sometimes the easiest way to avoid a fungal infection is through a fluffy pat of powder.

For the bra connoisseur? ANYTHING BUT VICTORIA’S SECRET. Seriously. Try HerRoom or BareNecessities.com. If your friend is both busty and a sporty spice? Enell can custom-design a sports bra so awesome, your titties will be in shock.

From Jenn: the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescues orphaned and injured elephants until they’re able to return to the wild. They do such a good job that some of their orphans have returned to the Trust to have babies, or to introduce the babies to their elephant friends there. Foster an elephant in your friend’s name.

If you know a new mom that loves to ROCK? Kelis’ album, Flesh Tone, is a beautiful ode to motherhood. <3

The indiscriminate reader? A new Kindle Wifi. Yes, I know, Amazon’s got problems… but seriously? I’m really, really jealous of my friends who have them. Only thing is, there don’t seem to be many academic texts available. SADFACE.

For your friend who’s well-intentioned but perpetually broke? A book on financial literacy, like On My Own Two Feet.

A membership to the Carl Brandon Society! ROCK THAT ANTI-RACIST FANDOM WITH PRIDE.

Creative companionship — does your BFF have a creative hobby you sometimes pretend not to notice? Like, say, knitting? Well, stop being such a jackass and go with them to a Stitch and Bitch session. You’ll make friends, learn something about knitting, and gain a renewed appreciation for that lovely scarf zhe made you last year.

Creative companionship take two — make a Color Me Mine pottery date. Get together with your bestie, paint something and relax together. Seriously — sometimes the best gift is your relaxed, loving time. Just let your creative juices (and the conversation!) flow.

Is your friend a totally hot rocker with curly hair ready to fight the power? ARE YOU READY TO SPLURGE OUT OF LOVE? No, seriously, I am OBSESSED with the following product lines: Oyin, Bumble and Bumble, and Huetiful. You can also get down and dirty with some kitchen witchery, using supples from Majestic Mountain Sage.

After all that hair fiddling, you might want to pamper your skin. Villainess makes DIVINE soap and pretty awesome oils. The oils, actually, are great when blended into almond butter. That whole mess just feels divine.

You know what else is divine? NOT HAVING TO CARRY YOUR OWN GROCERIES, OMG. If your bestie’s carless, busy, and trying to save the world, the least you can do is get hir a gift certificate for Peapod.com.

Cat lovers are crazy. Buy the cat a house and zhe will love you forever. I picked one with a neat house, but you know your bestie and zer cat the best. If they don’t like pagodas, try a nice high-rise.

They young-ish and struggling about coming out? The Huffington Post has a list up of great books for a gay teen. Really, though, they could be for any teen. Also, send them It Gets Better — they might need a reminder that high school isn’t forever.

They into piercings and lobe-stretching? This site has some of the most lovely non-conventional jewelry in the history of ever. They also offer a pretty sweet oil-pack for the novice lobe-stretcher (or for your friend who just got her nipples, lip, eyebrow, or navel pierced).

Hey! DOES YOUR FRIEND LIKE DOLLS? Mixis are mixed race dolls with backstory and passions. I really like that Opal comes with either curly hair or straight hair. Diaspora FTW!

More on music! Feed the Animals is an awesome concept album featuring snippets of all your favorite songs. Girl Talk also just came out with another mash-up album. THESE ARE BOTH FREE! The most musical gifts /=the most expensive.

At this point, you might be going, Maria, why the focus on parents?? WHAT ABOUT THOSE OF US WHO ARE CHILDFREE?? Uhhh how about Salt, the awesome Angelina Jolie is a spy flick, where, get this, home is symbolized by her adorable puppy and sweet, nerdy hubster, not some adorable moppet.

Several other students in my program swear by Getting Things Done. Perhaps your buddy needs to join the cult of productivity. (Note from Jenn: GTD is wonderful for many, but if it makes your friend weep, or just doesn’t fit their workflow like it didn’t fit mine, introduce them to Personal Kanban with its awesome blog, free tools like Trello (or buy them a paid Trello membership), or buy them the Personal Kanban book. Seriously, kanban changed my life.)

Give the gift of awesome cyberpunk:Red Spider White Web, a dystopian novel taking capitalism, neoliberalism, and globalization in one beautiful story of art, resistance, and survival.

Speak Out Now! has a fab collection of books by Tim Wise, an anti-racist white guy, as well as some awesome holistic, anti-racist, anti-sexist teaching tools. YOUR TEACHER FRIENDS ARE BROKE. Buy them nifty things for their pedagogy!

There’s also Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists, an anthology talking about the moment when 29 authors, scientists, activists, and everyday peeps realized that they were, in fact, anti-oppression rabble rousers.

I have been in love with these T-shirts for some time. I have coveted the Winchester Tavern one for at least two years. Pop culture + cool Ts = win.

Like art, but not into pounding nails? Try wall decals instead (also at Amazon). Some stunning and some silly art, for just about any room in your home.

Come on. Who doesn’t love ninjas? And cookies. Put them together and… NOM.

Marie Curie. On a T-shirt. Seriously – browse that site and you’re guaranteed to find something for everyone.

Need stress relief or maybe just want to relive a bit of your childhood? Pustefix Bubbles are, bar none, the best bubbles I have ever bubbled. Seriously. They’re super shiny, long lasting and guaranteed to bring a smile.

Comments

Ah, Utena….it’s the show that got me into loving/understanding/accepting lesbianism, all at the tender age of 10! 😀
Unfortunately, I can’t afford the complete box set…and I still need the last 5 soundtracks AND I need to buy movie and the original manga. 🙁
(IDK why it’s labeled as being from 1989, it was made in 1997)

Romantic Two-Girl friendships/lesbian overtones are a part of why anime is so great sometimes. 😀

I’ll admit that I’ve only been exposed to the Anime & haven’t read the Manga, but the Anime’s slow descent from “romantic school adventure” into “Incest & Debauchery” was kinda jarring.

Not that this makes it bad or anything, just not for me. Just don’t be fooled by the first few episodes into thinking this is appropriate for the elementary school set, it is very much a PG-13+ kinda affair.

I think I watched it either in 6th grade or 7th. I had a pretty sheltered childhood, so most of the stuff went over my head. I still loved the anime–still do–so it probably depends on the kids.

(Giant Spoiler Alert!) Admittedly, my incomprehension was helped by the fact that I assumed the episode where Utena and Akio slept together was just another flashback episode and skipped the whole thing.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. (I still need to buy the last two volumes of this one, so that’s on MY list, hint hint family) A spear-wielder works as a bodyguard to fulfill a promise she made to herself to save as many lives as she once took, and winds up tangled in a bizarre plot involving prophecy, spirits, and royalty. Bonus points for having a man in the role of childhood-friend/love-interest-who-is-the-healer-and-spiritual-support, and one seriously badass old lady. Also a novel.

Twelve Kingdoms. Girl gets dragged into a magical otherworld by a magical unicorny dude, but promptly gets seperated from him and lost alone in the middle of said magical otherworld with no idea of where she is, why she’s here, and what the hell to do about it. She starts by having a nervous breakdown, which is understandable, and works her way up from there. The journey from freaked out kid to badass leader is marvellous. ALSO also a novel.

Princess Tutu. Girly as HELL, but also meta as hell. It’s… damn it, every time I try to describe it, it sounds nonsensical. It took me forever to watch it because I thought it sounded silly, and then I had to practically tie my best friend to the couch and force her to watch it because SHE thought it sounded silly, and… look, it’s about a girl who is actually a duck who saves people with magical ballet. There is no way I can make you understand how awesome and epic and profound and gutwrenching it is. Just… for the love of god, watch it, and stay with it. It’s REALLY about fairy tales, and the power of stories, and a group of characters rebelling against their creator in order to try to take control of their own lives. Just watch it. Really. (It is also a manga, but the manga really really really sucks. Stick to the cartoon.)

Oh yeah, Azumanga Daioh is a good all-girls anime…the only guy is one of their teachers (but he’s kind of a pedo :|).

As far as moe anime goes, I like Lucky Star and K-On! as well, even though in K-On!’s case, the show’s mostly concerned with cute, childlike teenage girls who look and act like blobs…but there’s ZILCH male characters of note.

I’m considering getting some of the things on here for a few people BUT I CAN’T SAY MORE CAUSE ONE OF THEM MAY BE READING IT.

However I’m considering getting one of the coloring books for my cousin’s daughter. I just can’t get her anything without getting her son something too. I’M THINKING PERHAPS ANOTHER COLORING BOOK MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION.

I totally recommend the Young Wizards series for any kid or teen who is into sci-fi/fantasy. They are sooooo good— THE AUTHOR WRITES STAR TREK AND SPIDER-MAN NOVELS, YOU GUYS. If, like I was, your younger gift recipients are literary snobs who consider Harry Potter “low” fantasy literature without enough world-building, real-world-interaction, and science (I was spoiled by Pratchett at a young age, what can I say), this is the series for you. Even if they’re not, these books work– they tie in with a MAGICAL CAT SERIES.Check it out! And I haven’t gotten to the sixth book yet, but it heavily features an autistic teenaged wizard! (Just make sure and get the “updated” editions, because Diane Duane has been writing these books since the 1980s, and has since gone back and replaced antiquated technology with newer stuff.)

DollsLikeMe has you covered for all your multiculti/multiethnic kid’s needs! Haircare, dress-up costumes, DVDs, books, dolls and action figures of all colors!!

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention these Japanese media, although they aren’t “anime”: Battle Royale (the novel) is sort of a Japanese Lord of the Flies, but with girls, too; and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is a live action adaptation of the Sailor Moon manga that fleshes out each of the 5 “original” Sailor Senshi amazingly well and is hands-down the best version of Sailor Moon to date.

Non-American animated gems include the TV series Jane and the Dragon, about a little girl who is training to be a knight and is friends with a highly sarcastic vegetarian dragon, who is basically who I wanted to be as a child. Suck on that, Madeline! The Prince’s Quest features dudes pretty heavily, but the boys (eventually men) are of two different races– and the movie examines and addresses this. GASP! I’m not going to spoil the ending, but there is also the best princess in the world, a hyperactive little girl with natural hair. WHAT WHAT. I’ve only ever seen one other film by Michel Ocelot, but he seems fabulous.

Despite not allowing me to link to them properly, if you’re looking for webcomic goods, check out the TopatoCo empire, and some of my personal favorite webcomics also go through here!

As always, if you’re looking for art and crafty stuff, hit up DeviantArt and Etsy! For tutorials on how to do it all yourself, I’m addicted to Instructables, Cooking For Engineers, and Crafster, myself. Ebooks are available through Amazon, but if you want someone who doesn’t ban LGBTQ-lit, check out Wowio!

Ooooh. Sorry, I didn’t know that… I just skimmed the Wiki page to find any highlights I should touch on without having to read major spoilers since I’ve only read one and a half of the ten books released so far. -___-;

Charmed Life (Diana Wynne Jones) is a fun read, and her Chrestomanci books are usually an interesting application of multiverse fiction, but while it’s definitely the easiest-to-follow of Jones’s writing (she can get a bit convoluted) it’s also the weakest book of the ones I suggested. I really liked it when I was younger, though.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles are deliberately subversive fantasy fiction that pass the Bechdel test without even breaking a sweat. It’s definitely well-suited for younger readers as well as fans of traditional fantasy, with dragons, knights, and witches a-plenty. The writing style is more simplistic than the others I mentioned, but it’s about a princess going on a quest to work for a (female!) dragon, and the hijinks that ensue! Come on, that’s good stuff.

Equal Rites I saved for last because I am going to gush. It’s a Discworld novel (by Terry Pratchett), and the main character is a little girl named Eskarina Smith, who was MEANT to be the seventh son of a seventh son– but who received a wizard’s staff and powers anyway, despite being born female. She learns about the differences between witchcraft and wizardry, and by straddling those two worlds and viewing them objectively, she learns the magical gender divide is a social construct– all while having madcap adventures of a wondrous nature. She mind-melds with a friggin’ eagle! I really can’t say enough about the book, because it is amazing and you should read it YESTERDAY. 🙂

BTW, you mentioned Paprika in your BIG-ASS GIFT LIST, and I’ve heard nothing but good about it and I love all of Satoshi Kon’s work basically, but isn’t there a scene where the main character, a pretty much conventionally attractive woman scientist ends up relenting and “falling in love” with some slob? I remember reading about that scene on an anime review blog and they were praising how BEAUTIFUL and TOUCHING it was, that Charlie Chaplin would’ve WEPT at the sight and I was just like “Yeah, yeah…call me when a conventionally attractive male character falls in love with a fat, slovenly, socially awkward female character, then we’ll talk.”

Oh yeah, that was a huge WTF moment for me too. But I think it was played for subversive laughs because

*SPOILERS* (just in case)

The big brave detective hero man who “rescues” her (and is in love with her and possibly planning to ask her out) is supposed to get the girl in the end, but he doesn’t. It’s a hilarious “*jawdrop*” kinda scene when he finds out who she’s getting married to.

The fat slob is a scientist colleague of hers who is fat, yes, and kind of a slob (if I remember right) but I didn’t get the feeling that she “relented” at all in marrying him. As far as I remember, he wasn’t even pursuing her (for her to have “relented”) nor was there any indication of possible romance from her side. That’s why it comes as a shock to everyone.

The culmination of their relationship all happens off-screen, so you can pretty much make of it what you will. But judging from the scenes in the beginning of the movie, I felt that what she felt for him could have been more like a growing affection born out of getting to know each other over the course of their work together.

And comedy value at the expense of the detective.

That’s certainly not ideal, but it wasn’t as bad as the review made it out to be. Of course, it’s been a while since I watched it so I could be entirely wrong too. Watch it yourself and make a call. It’s totally awesome! 😀

And yes, the major issue is that you don’t get to see the opposite happening unless the slovenly woman gets A Makeover(TM) which makes her Hot!!!(TM). *eyeroll*

Oh, an alternative for bras: If you know someone who’s complaining their bras don’t fit, and you have some moolah to slap down (between $100 – $500 – yeah it is expensive, sorry) you may consider a bra-making workshop.

For Canadians, especially those around Toronto, there are bra-making workshops out of Hamilton. Check out bramakers.com

(I’m saving up for this myself, since nothing, yes, NOTHING, fits in that department)

I live in Toronto and I seriously CANNOT recommend Secrets From Your Sister highly enough. http://www.secretsfromyoursister.com/ I’m overweight and I was really nervous about the bra fitting — the women there take you in the back and it’s the full on, shirt off, they have to look at you with the bra on to fit you experience. And it was probably the single most body-positive experience I’ve had in my life. They find bras that work for your body type instead of fixating on what it is about your body that makes some bra styles not good. I felt amazing afterwards. 😀 They are a bit pricey but if you watch their website for when they’re having sales it’s soooo worth it.

I wish I could like Doctor Who as much as everyone else. I watched a few seasons of it (the David Tennant ones) and though the stories were amazing and kept me coming back, I kept getting this strong impression of ‘Benevolent all-knowing patriarch, pining love-sick ingenue’ which really *grated* on me.

Someone tell me I’m wrong about this! 🙁

(Sorry this is a bit OT, but the Sonic Screwdriver reminded me and I don’t have anywhere else to ask. >_<)

You’re not alone. I’m not a huge Who fan because 1) the fans are rabid and 2) I can’t overcome this ooky feeling about an ancient, nearly omnipotent being shipped with very young Earth humans. It’s creepy to me more than it is romantic.

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